Decorating in Warm Colors

Warm colors convey a cozy, welcoming vibe. Decorating in warm colors can enliven a dull room or bring comfort to a stark space. Warm paint colors are only the beginning. See how to create a warm color scheme that can be applied to all aspects of a room.

-Create a cozy look by choosing a color scheme from the warm side of the color wheel. Designers utilize warm colors to take the chill off east or north facing rooms or windowless rooms. Choosing colors from the warm side of the color wheel stretching from sunny yellows, to vibrant oranges, to rich reds and pinks gives a room the feeling of welcoming embrace. Here's how to decorate with warm colors in a way that's comfortable, not scorching. Using muted version of warm colors is a smart base for this color scheme. Here, a toasty beige, which is essentially yellow, with just a bit of gray paints the walls. Natural textures and materials such as wicker and wood also add cozy warmth. Red and yellow are both warm hues, but balancing a dark such as the burgundy red sofa in this living room with a bright such as the mustard yellow chair is key for creating a dynamic space. Look for opportunities to use patterns than contain both of your main colors like on the red and yellow pattern draperies on these windows. You can also fuse the colors, using doses of them in combination, in this case orange. Yellow mixes with red on this living room's terracotta tile floor, which is warm to the eyes, but cool to the touch. Balance warm colors with doses of cool accents. For minimal contrast, choose a cool that has warm undertones such as this yellowish olive green, which appears in the lamp, pillow, and accessories in this space. Consider how the space would look with orange accents, definitely not as dynamic. Look to different hues from pumpkin orange to scarlet red and butter yellow as a starting point for a warm scheme. Add in a few cool leaning accents and muted neutrals and you'll create a room like this space that projects vibrancy and warmth.